During the next eight years Numbers 20-28 of the Testimonies series appeared. In these early days the Testimonies attained their widest circulation and were best known in the form of pamphlets, consecutively numbered. The plan of grouping together several of these in bound volumes was continued through the years until by 1879 there were six volumes, containing Testimonies Numbers 1-28, inclusive. These volumes were not numbered and should not be confused with our present volume arrangement. EGWMR 65.6
By 1883 the publishers were again unable to furnish complete sets of the Testimonies either in pamphlet form or in bound volumes, and to meet the constant demand for this precious instruction for the church, it was decided to republish all of Numbers 1-30, Numbers 29 and 30 having appeared by this time. There were certain problems in connection with the proposal regarding the printing of this third edition, however, which it was felt must be duly considered. A number of the Testimonies had been written under very unfavorable circumstances, and in the haste to bring them before the people, numerous grammatical imperfections had been allowed to pass uncorrected into the published works. Now that the Testimonies were to be reprinted, it was recognized by Mrs. White and her associates that these imperfections in expression should be corrected so as to present the messages in better literary form. EGWMR 65.7